


A Notice of Arrival

by imma_redshirt



Series: Little Stories [2]
Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: Character Death Off Screen, Final Death, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-25 23:01:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13844844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imma_redshirt/pseuds/imma_redshirt
Summary: In a universe where Miguel never traveled to the Land of the Dead, new arrival Coco wants to know where her papá is.Imelda would like to know that, too.





	A Notice of Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Moving yet another short story on over from Tumblr. It was posted to Tumblr in early January, so it's a teeny bit old, and it's been edited and slightly revised. Changes from past tense to present tense about half way through, and I'm not sure if it's too jarring? 
> 
> Tried to keep it under a thousand words to keep myself from rambling. Drama is difficult for me. Still gave myself a sad, though. 
> 
> Please keep in mind that Imelda is still very much angry at Héctor here, so he's not exactly seen in a good light (this hurt me, gosh, my poor skeleson.) 
> 
> It was written assuming that memories are restored after passing over to the Land of the Dead.
> 
> If I've made any mistakes, please let me know!

Coco’s time had come.

She’d arrived at the Department of Family Reunions early one summer morning, and a messenger had delivered the Notice of Arrival to the Rivera household only hours after her appearance. The Riveras had closed their shop, dusted off their clothes, and rushed to the Department to greet Imelda’s only daughter.

And Imelda, who had hurried the rest of her family along the streets to the Department so that Coco didn’t have to spend one more second alone, had walked through the office doors expecting to see two things: 

First: her hija, who she had not interacted with in decades.

And second: _that musician._

Imelda had been ready to ignore him the moment she saw his face, determined not to let his presence soil her reunion with their daughter. But when the doors opened and she marched through, jaw clenched, all she saw was the clerk on duty, and the bright orange door that led to the Recovery Room where Coco waited.

The man who had been her husband was nowhere to be seen.

Now, as she stands back while the rest of her family greets Coco with warm, loving hugs, Imelda keeps one watchful eye on the entryway. 

Even now, she cannot let her guard down.

A bout of laughter catches her attention, and she smiles at her familia as Coco, still chuckling, turns with a hopeful, almost hesitant smile to Imelda and asks what Imelda has been dreading, “And Papá?”

That is a very good question, Imelda thinks, fuming. It’s been hours since the Notices of Arrival went out, and Coco’s father still hasn’t shown up.

He had been absent in life. It was almost a given he would be absent in death.

Imelda doesn’t want to see him. She _still_ hasn’t forgiven him, and she doesn’t know if she ever will, but she does know she cannot keep her daughter from wanting to find her papá. Coco, she knew, had always hoped to see him again.

Imelda had hoped for the same, once. But she had been naive.

“Your Papá has not arrived yet,” Imelda says, gently touching Coco’s shoulder. “No te preocupes, I will find out where he is. Enjoy being with your familia, mija.”

Coco smiles and touches Imelda’s hand with her own before turning back to give Victoria another hug, tugging her tall daughter down into a tight embrace.

Imelda watches for a second longer before turning and marching upt to the clerk behind the nearby desk. The clerk looks up with a ready smile but cheer turns to worry when he spots the look on Imelda’s face.

Undaunted by the sliver of fear in the clerk’s eyes, Imelda demands, “Has Héctor Rivera arrived? I cannot _believe_ that man would not appear to greet his own daughter–”

“Héctor Rivera?” The clerk says, and frowns. “Lo siento, señora, but no notice was sent to a Héctor Rivera.”

Imelda is taken back for a moment. She’s speechless. How could the Department make a mistake like that? “ _What?_ And why is that?”

“I, uh, I’m not–”

“You listen to me,” she says, and the clerk gulps, “Use your devil box and tell me why my daughter’s father was not told she has arrived. And then you send a notice immediately, do you understand?”

The clerk stammers out a response and begins to click through his computer.

To think! Héctor was out there, Lord knew where, going about his life, unaware that their only daughter had arrived in the Land of the Dead. 

Furious, this time at someone _other_ that Héctor himself, Imelda turns to look back at her daughter, who is receiving another round of hugs from their family. She smiles at the white of Coco’s lovingly braided hair. Coco had thankfully lived to an old age, a blessing not granted to many. But though she’d had a good life, with old age had come that awful thing that had sapped away her energy, eaten away at her memories--

The realization hits her before the clerk finds the file. She clutches at her chest where her heart had once beaten, feels the pain of a phantom, aching muscle. For a moment, she is dizzy with shock. Behind her is the door that will never open to the sound of a cheerful greeting, will never open to admit an excited father. The sound of typing stops, and Imelda takes a shuddering breath.

She doesn’t need the confirmation, doesn’t need the clerk’s sympathetic look, and she can’t tear her gaze away from her daughter as the clerk slowly says, “I am sorry, señora, but there was not a Héctor Rivera to send a notice _to._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> ...I might have to write something super fluffy as an apology for making myself sad while writing this.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
